Can LASIK Correct Astigmatism?
Astigmatism is a common eye disorder that occurs when a person’s cornea is misshapen. Ideally, your cornea should be shaped like a sphere or globe. In eyes with astigmatism, however, the cornea is shaped more like the surface of an egg or a football. The ideal spherical eye shape causes all light to converge at a single point at the back of your retina, but those with astigmatism have two different focal points resulting in blurred vision. Astigmatism can be seen by itself or in combination with myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).
Unlike patients with myopia alone, who may only need eyewear when performing certain activities, patients with large amounts of astigmatism usually require correction with glasses or contact lenses at all times. Thankfully, modern LASIK technology and techniques can treat even large amounts of astigmatism, freeing patients from their constant reliance on cumbersome eyewear.
At Doctors For Visual Freedom, we will perform a thorough examination of your eyes to determine whether or not you are a good candidate for LASIK. The type of astigmatism you have and the severity of your disorder will both be factors in determining whether or not LASIK is the best treatment method for you. If you are not an ideal candidate for LASIK, an alternative type of Laser Vision Correction may be a better option for you, such as Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK).
If you have further questions about what LASIK can accomplish for you, please contact our Chicago LASIK surgeons today to schedule your free screening. Doctors For Visual Freedom has two offices in Illinois: one in downtown Chicago, and one in Arlington Heights.
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 at 10:12 pm and is filed under LASIK. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
